Stories from Wednesday, January 16, 2019

McCOOK, Neb. — Black eye, schmack eye! McCook’s Liviya Wier could still see ultimate victory awaiting her coast-to-coast dash past four Lexington Minutemaids with seconds remaining Tuesday night.. Or maybe not! “I have no idea how that happened,” the sophomore guard said as her Bison were barely leading 39-37. “Coach said ‘if you got it, go!’ So I passed two of them and thought I’m gonna go.”...

We see the stories as the federal shutdown drags on. Canadian air traffic controllers buying pizzas for their colleagues south of the border, federal employees forced to work for nothing, leaving part-time jobs they took to try to pay their bills, food drives and suggestions for making ends meet...

Mary Ann Downing-Schwerdt June 5, 1929 - Jan. 13, 2019 STRATTON, Neb. — Mary Ann Downing-Schwerdt was the third daughter born to Joseph Anton and Marie Anna (Podskubka) Vachuta on the family farm in Rawlins County, Kan., on June 5, 1929. She attended the Lone Tree District School three-fourths of a mile south of their farm from 1934 to 1942. She attended McDonald Rural High School in the fall of 1942 and graduated with the Class of 1946...

Ila Marie Schutz Sept. 12, 1941 - Jan. 14, 2019 CAMBRIDGE, Neb. — Ila Marie Schutz, age 77, of Cambridge passed away at the Cambridge Manor on Jan. 14, 2019. She was born in Norton, Kan., on Sept. 12, 1941, to George and Bernice (Bryant) Sweeley. The family moved to Elwood and Ila continued her education and graduated from Elwood High School in 1959...

Cohleen Nienhueser KEARNEY, Neb. — Cohleen Nienhueser, 85, of Kearney, was carried home by her Lord and Savior supported by family and friends on Monday, Jan. 14, 2019, at CHI Health-Good Samaritan Hospital. Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, 2019, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Kearney. Reverend Duane Duley will officiate. Inurnment will take place at a later date at Evergreen Cemetery in Omaha...

McCOOK, Neb. — In an effort to create more transparency, the business office at McCook Public Schools has been busy with several ongoing projects. The office wasn’t doing things wrong before, said John Brazell, McCook Schools business manager at the regular McCook Board of Education meeting Monday, but these efforts are merely making things more understandable for others in the district...

McCOOK, Neb. — Presentations given at the McCook Board of Education Monday night included those from the industrial tech program and the McCook Chapter of TeamMates. Tom Sughroue and Jake Curl, industrial tech instructors, demonstrated the types of projects students have made, including a lighted-up speaker box that students designed in an electronics class and a table made in woodworking by Peyton O’Toole, who graduated last year...

McCOOK, Neb. -- After more than half a century of serving the financial needs of people in the McCook area, Jim Hamill is retiring. Jim, who is well known throughout the community, got his start in McCook in 1967 when he came to town as the agent for CIT financial services. But he is best known for his 45-year career at the MNB Bank where he has worked continuously since January 8, 1973...

MCCOOK, Neb. — Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the daughter of Larry and Linda Richards of McCook, has been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for 2019. She was recognized for creating medical devices for low-resource settings and will be honored with the other 18 inductees for 2019 in Washington D.C. on May 1. ...

Dozens of variables impact a child’s ability to reach their potential through our traditional education system. However, everyone can agree that the number of hours of instruction a child receives is key. In almost every situation, the more hours a child is actively engaged, the more they learn...

Hoarfrost Monday morning softens the shapes of cottonwood trees and a windmill tower south of McCook. Forecasters predicted freezing fog and drizzle for most of the day today.

EUSTIS, Neb. — The Medicine Valley girls finished with a 10-2 surge to beat Eustis-Farnam, 35-20, Tuesday evening. Sophomore Acelyn Klein’s 16 points and 11 from junior Sabra Schmidt fueled the five-girl Raider roster. Perhaps more impressive was how they pulled down 14 rebounds apiece. The Raiders built a 41-25 rebound margin overall against their host Knights...

CAMBRIDGE, Neb. — The McCook freshmen made two great late three-point shots and edged Cambridge, 51-50, Tuesday night. Cole Cappel (16 points, Cameron Werkmeister (13) and Brendan Gillen (11) led the victorious Bison. Jonas Somerville delivered five clutch points with Hunter Hansen adding four and James Neel two points. The Bison host North Platte on Thursday, Jan. 24...

LINCOLN, Neb. — The McCook High swimmers and divers earned 15 bananas for winning heats at last weekend’s Lincoln High Invitational. Coach Lori Jumps confirmed these facts plus the Bison deliverd some improved efforts during this two-day, 10-team competition...

McCOOK, Neb. — McCook American Legion baseball Boosters, Inc., will be having their 2019 annual meeting and election of board members and officers tonight. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the McCook High School office conference room. Please enter through the front doors into McCook High School...

McCOOK, Neb. — The Air Force Prep Huskies banked in a 3-pointer off the boards as time expired to sink the McCook Community College Men Tuesday in the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center 81-80. MCC had taken the lead on sophomore Peanut Cunningham’s (Louisville, Kent.) drive down the lane that put the Indians up 80-78 with 9.4 seconds remaining...

McCOOK, Neb. —McCook’s shooting touch on Tuesday night far surpassed the recent Friday or Saturday performances. No fewer than five Bison sent daggers through the nets from three-point land against Lexington’s five-guard lineup. However, being “in the zone” defensively against Lex’s Nick Salz was a strategy the Bison would have loved to replay...